John Hennessy III,
P.E.
Subway reliability is way down, and the bus system is shedding riders at an alarming rate. And because transit is so unreliable, today New York is accommodating growth in cars, in the form of the tens of thousands of Uber and Lyft vehicles we now find on our streets each day.
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We looked at 100 cities on a global basis and not one US city made it into the top 20. The highest ranking city was New York City, and they came in at number 23. Probably the biggest challenge that all of the US cities face is the continued dependency on passenger-car travel. We don’t have nearly as well developed metro systems or transit systems for sharing or using alternative means–whether it’s walking or bicycles or other methods of getting around. That’s the big challenge for the US cities, is to look at how they go about diversifying their transportation options.
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City Parks Alliance releases the latest video in the five-part series, “City Parks: America’s New Infrastructure,” focused on the role of linear parks in providing transportation options to city residents. Featuring Fairmount Park System in Philadelphia, PA, The 606 in Chicago, IL, and The Lafitte Greenway in New Orleans, LA, this video share information on how the parks are providing commuter access to jobs and retail, as well as recreational walking and cycling needs.
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A Barnes Dance Intersection (also known as a “pedestrian scramble”) operates differently from a standard traffic signal-controlled intersection and allows pedestrians to cross diagonally while vehicles on all sides of the intersection are stopped at a red signal. In June 2017, DDOT put in place a Barnes Dance at 14th and Irving Street NW, which […]
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Some cities in Europe are undergoing a fascinating transformation: they’re getting rid of all of their road signs. That’s thanks to a design concept called “shared space,” where urban planners drastically lessen the presence of traffic lights, signs, and barriers, encouraging all forms of transportation to share the road. There’s evidence that drivers often totally ignore road signs, so the heightened risk forces commuters to remain on high alert as they pass through an intersection, in theory leading to safer travel. But by stripping cities of their traditional traffic control systems, they leave disabled residents in the dark — and that’s sparked a powerful debate of how to balance ease of movement with all residents’ needs.
View this complete post...Many large cities have been so successful in revitalizing downtown areas, it’s now extremely difficult to find parking, to secure restaurant reservations or lease retail space. People wait for years to lease condos in revitalized urban areas and real estate prices have increased significantly. In far too many other American cities, however, downtown areas are anything but vibrant. Some are eyesores because of vacated buildings and a few almost feel like ghost towns. When cities languish, municipal revenues become strained and the downward spiral escalates even more quickly.
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If the Regional Plan of New York and Its Environs, from 1922, was about realizing that New York City was part of a larger regional economy and natural ecosystem; if the Second Regional Plan of 1968 was about trying to concentrate unconstrained sprawl into a constellation of regional cities; and if the Third Regional Plan of 1996 was about reinvesting in the infrastructure systems of the region to reassert our prominence on the national and international stage—then the lesson we learned from four years of data analysis and public engagement is that the Fourth Regional Plan is about creating and recreating our public institutions, and shaping them to make positive change happen.
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Engineering wind-resilient structures and spaces is a complicated endeavor that relies on both human ingenuity and science. Projects must also mesh with other environmental factors, including falling snow and ice, snow loads and solar conditions. Consulting firms tap detailed climatological data, local wind data and more to grasp how wind affects a structure in a particular spot. But that’s only a start.
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Without new affordable homes and walkable neighborhoods, housing markets tighten and costs rise, leading to less disposable income, longer commutes, the need to work longer hours, more stress, and poorer health for the region’s households. This disparity falls most heavily on the region’s lower-income households who, as referenced in RPA’s report Pushed Out, have seen housing costs rise unabated and continue to get pushed further away from central, walkable areas with access to jobs2. But it affects others as well – young families, seniors and anyone who needs affordable housing and doesn’t want to or can’t spend hours a day behind the wheel.
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In Denver and cities across the United States, historic train stations are getting a new lease on life. Many are anchoring downtown redevelopment projects as well.
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